Tractor mounted adjustable post hole digger



Dec. 15, 1953 w. A. ABRAMS 2,662,736

TRACTOR MOUNTED ADJUSTABLE POST HOLE DIGGER Filed Feb. 19. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l NNNNNN OR TTTTTTT YS Dec. 15, 1953 w. A. ABRAMS Y 2,662,736

TRACTOR MOUNTED ADJUSTABLE POST HOLE DIGGER Filed Feb. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WILL LAMA. ABRAMS ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 15, 1953 TED s mites PATENT oFHcE TnA'ononMwN'rEn Anmstrnnnp rosrnoLE BIGGER William A. Abrams, Bittsburg, GaVllLg-asslgnoriot .onevthird to Warren B. lAbrams, Pittsbung, and .oneethird vIto Luigi Arata, Antioch, Application February 19, 1952;3eflalNm-2F12A47 '41'Clalims. 1

.The presentinvention is'dire'cted to; and it is a major object to provide, .novel improvements in a framesupported, power actuated postrhole digger; the invention being especially designed, butnot limited, for use .in connection with a post .hole digger of the type coupled to, :and'driven from,a tractor.

Another importantobject of this .invention is to provide a post hole digger which employs a novel, adjustable mount .for the power actuated augensuch mount being arrangedfor ready man ual adjustment whereby to dispose the auger perpendicular before it is-placed in operation. The mount vis constructed, in a novel manner, so that adjustment may be had both in a longitudinal direction and in a transverse direction; such dual adjustment, being in planes at right angles to each other, permitting the auger to be very accurately set.

Anadditional .obj ect .is to :provide an adjustable post .hole digger wherein the mount, as-in the preceding paragraph, includes ,a wheel supported frame adapted tocouple at the front to a tractor--at the rear; there :being driving connections between the tractorpower take-off shaft and the auger, yet the arrangement .being .such that the auger is adjustable without interference by said connections.

A further object of the invention is to i provide an adjustable post =hole .digger which positively holds its position of adjustment, once set *for operation. a

A still :further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable ipost hole digger -which is sturdy and .oompact in structure, and readily portable.

Arseparate object. of the invention .is to provide the frame of the post .hole diegerwitha novel coupling iunit for attachment to the hitch of the tractor; such coupling unit permitting of articulation, about a transverse horizontal axis, between the tractorand said frame.

It is also an object-of the invention to provide an adjustable post hole digger which is designed for ease and :economy of manufacture; convenience of operation; and long service withia-m'inimum of servicing :or maintenance required.

Still another :object of ithe invention is :to :provide a practical and reliable adjustable post ihole diggergand one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for 'which'it is designed.

tThese 'objects are accomplished by means :of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as willri'lullyappe'ar by a perusal of the f-fioliowing specification 'an'd claims.

In the sdraw-ings:

EFig. iluisz a iperspe'cttve "view, iromstherean of the rad i ustable post :hole (digger ias :coupled ito :a tractor.

.'iI 1g.Z2 is .a perspective view, :iromzthe ufront, 10f the drama assembly.

Fig.3 iis anenlargediragmentary transverse section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

:Referring new more eparticularlyto the wharatc'ters ofreference aon the iirawlnea the' novel adjustable post hole cdigger .ioomprises 3B arigid, somewhat elongated, :drait .iframe iindioatedgenerally at I. :Thefiframe -:l eeompr i'ses transversely spaced tubular, longitudinal:side "beams. 2::and 53.;

a .rear :cross :"beam 24 :fixed to :the acorresponding ends :ofwizhe beans 1*! v:and A8,; ia'ndia forward @"cross beam 5 'fixedxtoiithe beams :2 and a! aadjacentsbut short "of, thelfront :ends lofthe flatter.

'.Thexr.ear across "beam 4 projects at its ends beyondztherside beamszz andd and thmprojecting portionsnf beam A are asnpportedxfmm 'below :by caster wheels 6.

:A transverse idrafit rbar-il :spansnbetween "the front ends :of the side beams s2 and and adentrally ofz itsiends the bar 11 is rflttedvwith ztransversely :spacejd ;dependin g ears '18 which depend on opposite sides vofg a longitudinal :axis collar (C whose purposewillanpearrhereinafter.

TheicollarCzis providediwithitrunnions 9 which project .laterallythrough theears 8. With ement the transverse \draft bar fl is .capable of ,pivotal motion :about the :trunnions .9 .as an axis; opposite ends 30f saiddraft .har I .being provided with laterally facin uidefianges 10, arcuately slotted .as at ill! cfoncentricto .the'itrunnions :9. [3, on "the side beams 2 and"3 ,,through"theslots I I The 'drait'bar '1 is thus maintained'in proper transverse positionyet'permitted to 'tilt about-the trunnions {9.

The -draf-t frame 'is coupled to a "tractor "H by securing the tractor hitch E5 to the :transverse draft bar 1 loyzmeans 50f :holtsil 6.

'A central longitudinal ;:shaft in ds rotatably journaled in rrame =1, wbeing .zcarriedin collar-:0 at the :front and at the lrear; in the cross 4 and projecting -a distance :rearwardly of said fibeam .At its rear-end the shaft 4;! :is formed withaa:transverselyaextendingfrearwardly opening :yoke 1E8 such yolce being :rocke'd about its .ai'X'iStD level the :yoke,--:b,y the :following mechanism:

:R'earwardly or :the across :beam the :shaft 4-51 is stormed with 2a :rigidzdepending radial arm :19

. and Pa "transverse .20 is ipivnted at its inner IGuide ib'olts ['2 project from collars,

end, as at 2|, to said arm IS. The link 2|} extends outwardly to pivotal connection, as at 22, with a lower end of an upstanding laterally swingable hand lever 23. The hand lever 23 is pivoted adjacent, but short of, its lower end, as at 24, and such lever is normally but releasably clamped by a hand screw 25 to an adjacent holding plate 26 on cross beam 4.

An inverted U-shaped guide frame 21, which is vertically elongated, upstands from the yoke [8, the lower ends of the legs 28 of said guide frame being pivoted as at 29 to the opposite sides of said yoke.

The guide frame 21 is maintained adjustably, in an upright position by a pair of transversely spaced stay bars 30, pivoted at their upper ends as at 3| to the top of the frame 21. From the pivots 3| the stay bars 30 extend at a forward and downward incline in diverging relation being pivoted at their lower ends, as at 32, to opposite ends of a transverse adjustment bar 33.

The transverse adjustment bar 33 spans over the center shaft l1 between the cross beams 4 and 5, and said bar is adjustable along said center shaft by means of a collar 34. The collar 34 is fixed to the bar 33, and a hand screw 35 normally but releasably locks the collar 34 on said shaft.

It will be recognized that by adjusting the bar 33 lengthwise of shaft 11, the guide frame 21 will be swingably adjusted to or fro.

The post hole digging auger 36 is disposed in upstanding position between legs 28 of guide frame 21, and the upper end of the auger shaft 31 extends into and is driven from a gear box 38. The gear box is mounted for movement up or down in the guide frame 37 by means of sleeves 39 running on legs 28. The gear box 38 is lowered to run the auger 36 into the ground, or raised to withdraw said auger, by conventional gear box hoist mechanism, here shown in part at 40.

The gear box 38 is driven by a universally connected telescopic drive shaft 41 which extends from the front of said gear box at a forward and downward incline to connection with the power take-off shaft 42 of the tractor.

When the above described post hole digger is in use, it is pulled by the tractor I4 from digging point to digging point, and at each such point, before digging the post hole, the guide frame 21 is first adjusted in a longitudinal direction and in a transverse direction to dispose the shaft 31 perpendicular; the adjustment in a longitudinal direction being accomplished by shifting the bar 33 lengthwise on the center shaft 11, and the adjustment in a transverse direction being accomplished by rotating the shaft I! by suitable manipulation of the hand lever 23, which produces a transverse rocking motion of the yoke I8. With this dual adjustment feature the post hole digger can be effectively set to perpendicular, with the adjustment being accomplished manually and in a minimum of time.

By reason of the embodiment of the universally connected telescopic drive shaft 4|, the guide frame 21 may be adjusted, as above, without in terference from said driving mechanism.

For the purpose of visually indicating the position of adjustment, both in a longitudinal direction and in a transverse direction, the implement is provided with two plumb bob units; one-indicated at 43-being mounted on a le 28 of the guide frame 21, and the other-indicated 4 at 44being mounted on the yoke la in oflset relation to the shaft I'I.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations therefrom may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired.

1. A mount for a post hole digger which includes an upstanding guide frame, and a driven auger mounted on the guide frame for up or down motion; said mount comprising a supported main frame, a longitudinal shaft journaled on the main frame, normally fixed but releasable means to rotatably adjust the shaft, a yoke on the shaft, said guide frame and yoke both having transversely spaced legs, means pivoting the guide frame legs adjacent their lower ends to corresponding yoke legs for longitudinal swinging adjustment of said guide frame, and normally fixed but releasable means to so swingably adjust the guide frame.

2. A mount for a post hole digger which includes an upstanding guide frame, and a driven auger mounted on the guide frame for up or down motion; said mount comprising a supported main frame, a longitudinal shaft rotatably journaled on the main frame and projecting at one end therefrom, normally fixed but releasable means to rotatably adjust the shaft, a yoke on said projecting end of the shaft, said guide frame and yoke both having transversely spaced legs, means pivoting the guide frame legs adjacent their lower ends to corresponding yoke legs for longitudinal swinging adjustment of said guide frame, a collar normally clamped to but releasable for adjustment along said shaft in spaced relation to the guide frame, a transverse bar on the collar, and transversely spaced stay bars pivotally connected to and diagonaling between the guide frame adjacent the top and said bar adjacent its ends.

3. A mount for a post hole digger which includes an upstanding guide frame, and a driven auger mounted on the guide frame for up and down motion; said mount comprising a supported main frame, a longitudinal shaft rotatably journaled on the main frame and projecting at one end therefrom, normally fixed but releasable means to rotatably adjust the shaft, a yoke on said projecting end of the shaft, said guide frame and yoke both having transversely spaced legs, means pivoting the guide frame legs adjacent their lower ends to corresponding yoke legs for longitudinal swinging adjustment of said guide frame, a collar normally clamped to but releasable for adjustment along said shaft in spaced relation to the guide frame, a transverse bar on the collar, and transversely spaced stay bars pivotally connected to and diagonaling between the guide frame adjacent the top and said bar adjacent its ends; said means for rotatably adjusting the shaft including an upstanding transversely swingable hand lever pivoted on the main frame laterally of the shaft, a radial arm on the shaft, a transverse link pivotally connecting the lever and arm, and releasable holding means between the lever and main frame.

4. A mount for an earth boring implement which includes an upstandin guide frame and a driven tool mounted on the frame; the mount comprising a supported main frame, a horizontal shaft extending lengthwise of and journaled for rotation on the main frame, means between said frame and shaft to control the rotation of the shaft, means pivotally mounting the guide frame at its lower end on the shaft for longitudinal swinging movement, and means between the guide frame and the shaft to control the swinging of said guide frame and comprising a member slidably mounted on the shaft intermediate its ends, a diagonal brace extending between and 6 pivotally connected to said member and the guide frame, and releasable means to clamp the member on the shaft.

WILLIAM A. ABRAMS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,397,324 Moore Nov. 15, 1921 2 044,880 Greve et a1 June 23, 1936 2,321,680 Houston June 15, 1943 2,453,204 Dobbs Nov. 9, 1948 2,565,224 Gibbens Aug. 21, 1951 

